Chapter 3: Forthmore Palace



THE noise of busy chariots and buzzing chitchats were breaking my eardrums as I passed through the crowd. Nasa unahan ko si Genesis na tila hindi naapektuhan sa ingay ng paligid. Pasipol-sipol lamang ito at tumatango pa sa mga taong lumilingon sa kanya. Minsan ay kumakaway rin siya sa mga babaeng panay ang pagpapa-cute. What a flirty man.

"Where are we heading to?" I asked. Yeah, that was stupid of me to go with him without any single idea where he's taking me or where I'll be staying. Masyado akong nagtitiwala sa lalaking 'to.

"At Gloysh Place. It's an inn not so far from here. I'll explain everything to you when we get there," Genesis replied and winked at me.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Stop flirting."

Natawa ito at hinila ako palayo sa maraming tao. "It's not flirting. I'm just being friendly."

"Flirty and friendly are two different things," I remarked in a matter-of-fact tone.

Inakbayan ako nito kaya'y mabilis na lumipad ang kamao ko sa mukha niya. Hindi naman ito gaanong malakas pero napadaing siya habang sapo-sapo ang parteng tinamaan ng suntok ko. Sumigaw pa ito na halatang peke na siyang nakahakot ng atens'yon. I really hate this guy.

"Ang kapal ng mukha niyang saktan ang isang Arcane."

"Right, she should know her place."

"At least, hindi siya duwag tulad n'yo."

Samo't-saring bulungan pa ang narinig ko na wala namang katuturan. Napangisi naman si Genesis at mayabang akong tinignan.

"Ang dami kong fans, 'no?" nakangising sambit nito.

Itinaas ko ang aking kamao at itinapat sa mukha niya. "Mas marami akong sapak para sa'yo."

And to my annoyance, he just grinned and pinched my cheek! What the hell?!

"I must be so special that you'll really make an effort to punch me," he said as if punching him is the best gift he'll ever receive.

Mabilis siyang tumakbo sa direks'yon ng hindi gaanong kalakihang kalsada. At mabuti na rin 'yon bago pa ako mawalan ng kontrol at mabugbog siya. Walang hiyang lalaki. Walang kahit isang nilalang na pinapalampas ko sa t'wing hinahawakan ako ng walang permiso, at pinaka-ayaw ko sa lahat ay ang pinapakialaman ang mukha ko.

The nerve of that guy! I'll remind myself to beat the hell out of him as soon as we arrive at Glorts — Globsh — Blorsh — whatever that inn is.

Tumakbo ako papalit sa walang hiyang lalaki na abot-taingang nakangiti sa'kin. 'Pag ako talaga tuluyang mainis, tanggal lahat ng ngipin ng malanding lalaking 'to.

"You alright?" prenteng tanong nito.

"Saan na ba 'yang Gloves inn na 'yan?" I asked, trying to calm myself down.

Natawa lamang siya at itinuro ang kabilang bahagi ng kalsada. It's an old post sign saying, "Gloysh Place", with an arrow beneath it pointing at the old building made of bricks just about ten meters away from us. It's way too old that it's starting to look like a haunted building.

Hindi ba uso ang paglilinis, maintainance, o renovation dito? Forthill is a poor island but at least, it's not ancient-looking unlike this one. The building looks deprived of proper cleaning for a hundred of years.

"We're going to stay there?" tanong ko kay Genesis at tinuro ito. Mabilis naman siyang tumango.

Hindi na siya muling nagsalita at naglakad sa direksyon ng lumang gusali. Mabilis naman akong sumunod sa kanya. Nang makarating kami sa may kalakihan at luma na bakod ay may matandang babaeng sumalubong sa'min. May dala-dala itong isang baso ng tsaa at tungkod na hanggang balikat ang haba. She's wearing an old rose robe that suits her pale complexion and white hair. Kulay asul din ang mga mata nito. Electric blue, to be exact.

"Good day, Sir Shawth. How's the business going?"

Kumunot ang noo ko sa narinig mula kay Genesis. Sir Shawth? Lalaki pala ang matandang 'to? It's weird, though. Babaeng babae ang itsura niya, kahit ang hulma ng katawan niya.

"I was born like this, hija. Ilang beses na rin akong napagkakamalan." Napitlag ako ng marinig ang kalmado at baritono nitong boses. Hindi bagay sa babae niyang itsura ang boses nito.

"Come in," he said and opened the gate for us.

"He's Sir Shawth Gloysh, the owner of Gloysh Place. He's quite an extraordinary mage, as you can see," Genesis whispered to my ear as we walked our way inside the inn that left me in awe.

An awe not for Mr. Shawth but for the Gloysh Place! This freaking place!

Who would've thought that inside the haunted-looking building is an elegant and classy inn? The ceiling was high and engraved with different kinds of mythical creatures adorned with vintage chandeliers. There were portraits of creatures I can't name and portraits of weird people hanging on the brick wall. The floor was made of marble stone and there were bright red linings on every corner.

This is beyond what I imagined.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Ganiyan din ang reaks'yon ko nang una akong makatapak dito," ani Genesis. Hindi ako sumagot. I can't show him any of my emotions. I don't want to.

"Room 24 and 26," sambit ni Mr. Shawth at may binigay sa amin na dalawang butterfly key. Tig-iisa kami ni Genesis.

Naglakad na kami sa kinaroroonan ng magarbong hagdanan nang magsalita si Mr. Shawth.

"Nagpunta dito ang hari kanina, Gen. May pinapaabot na imbitasyon," anito.

Nabaling ang tingin ko kay Genesis na biglang lumiwanag ang mukha. Tinaasan ko ito ng kilay nang bungisngis siyang lumingon sa'kin.

"I think I know what the king wants," he said, trying to sound mysterious. Tsk. Sa tingin niya ba hindi ko nahahalata na pinipilit niyang h'wag ipaliwanag sa'kin ang isang bagay para magmukha siyang misteryoso? Bobo lang ang hindi makakahalata.

"Sabihin mo kung ayaw mong putulin ko 'yang dila mo."

Hindi nawala ang ngisi nito, bagkus ay mas lalo pang lumawak. "You'll come with me."

"Where?"

"To the palace."

"DO I really have to wear this?" naiinis na tanong ko sa lalaking prenteng naka-upo sa mahabang upuan.

"You wouldn't wanna expose yourself too early, do you?" asked Genesis. He got up and walked towards me. He took a couple of seconds staring at my reflection through the wide mirror and smiled.

Napaikot ako ng mata. "Of course not."

Mahina nitong tinapik ang balikat ko. "You look beautiful."

Lumingon ako at humarap sa kanya bitbit ang isang maliit na bag na kumikinang sa magarbong disenyo. Pinagdasahan ko ng tingin ang kabuuan niya. He's wearing a white silky tuxedo paired with a black necktie. On his left chest was a small purple badge with a dove and a letter 'F' on it, of which I think is the initial of Forthmore. He's a good-looking man, honestly.

"And you look awful," I said, trying to mock him.

"Hmm, it took seconds for you to say that. You hesitated," sagot nito at ngumisi. Ibang klase talaga ang yabang ng lalaking 'to.

Napairap nalang ako at muling humarap sa salamin. A girl wearing a silky white high neck mermaid gown and silver half-face mask mirrored my reflection. I can barely recognize myself.

My jet black hair was tied in a messy bun with a silver tiara placed above it. In my wrist is a lace glove that covered my palm but not my fingertips. I'm wearing a glossy white 5 inches heels that will surely do nothing but embarrass me later. Hindi na ako magtataka kung buong gabi akong nakaupo mamaya para lamang maligtas ang sarili sa kahihiyan.

I'm not used to wearing high heels, for hell's sake!

"Ngayon mo lang ba nakita ang sarili mo na nakaayos?" mapang-asar na tanong ni Genesis mula sa likuran. Hindi ako sumagot at nanatiling nakatitig sa salamin. It's true, though. This is the first time I saw myself being what they call a  'woman'. Never in my entire life have I ever worn a dress or heels, even jewelries. Aside from the fact that I'm broke, I'm also not fond of these things. Pinagbigyan ko lang ngayon dahil pupunta kami sa palasyo.

"Let's go?" Genesis extended his hand in front of me and I reluctantly accepted it. Hindi talaga ako sanay na hinahawakan ako. Gusto ko pa ring manapak.

"You alright? You seem a little preoccupied," tanong ng kasama ko nang mapansin ang kinikilos ko. Masama bang sabihin na naiilang ako at ayaw ko siyang kasama?

"I just hate your presence."

Natawa lamang ito sa sagot ko at naglakad na kami palabas. Muli kaming dumaan sa magarbong hagdanan at mga naglalakihang portraits na nakasabit sa dingding. Walang masyadong tao dahil nasa palasyo raw ang mga ito, ayon kay Genesis. Kahit si Mr. Shawth ay hindi ko nakita. I bet he, too, is at the palace already. I wonder what the palace looks like, and I'm looking forward to meet the king, too.

"Kailan magsisimula ang event?" pambasag ko sa katahimikan.

"Hmm..." tumingin ito sa gilid bago nagpatuloy, "About 5 minutes from now."

My forehead creased. "And how are we gonna get there within 5 minutes? I'm starting to hate portals." Portals look enchanting but using it? Your internal organs will be at war.

Tanging ngiti lang ang isinagot sa'kin ni Genesis at pinagbuksan ako ng gate. Isang magarbong kalesa na hila-hila ng dalawang puti na kabayo ang bumungad sa'kin. Every parts of it is shining in metallic gold. Inside is a long victorian chair, all colored in gold and its different shades. It's a complete fairytale-like carriage! Ibang-iba ito sa mga normal na kalesang nakakalat kanina sa bayan. I think, this is exclusively from the palace.

"Hop in," Genesis held my arm as I stepped inside the carriage. "Be careful."

Pasekreto kong inikot ang mata. Feeling gentleman din ang lalaking 'to. Hindi bagay.

Nang komportable na akong nakapwesto ay sumunod na rin ito papasok. Nagsimula nang tumakbo ang kalesa at nanatili lamang akong tahimik. Kailan pa ba ako nag-ingay? Kahit si Genesis ay hindi rin umiimik. Nakadungaw lamang ito sa bintana habang tahimik na pinagmamasdan ang mga ilaw mula sa kabahayan na aming nadadaanan. Base on my calculation and the atmosphere, it's probably 11 pm now. It's late and the air felt cold already. Mabuti na lamang at hindi masyadong revealing ang damit na binili ni Genesis para sa 'kin.

About 6 minutes had passed and the horses stopped. Mabilis akong lumabas ng kalesa at nilibot ang tingin sa paligid ngunit tanging mayayabong na luntiang dahon at mga bulaklak lamang ang aking nakita. May iilan ring mga lampara nagda-dagdag ng liwanag maliban sa sinag ng dalawang buwan. The two moons were enough to lit up the broad garden where the carriage stopped, and it makes the place look as though it's glowing.

"Come on. Late na tayo," mabilis akong hinila ni Genesis na siyang ikinasama ng timpla ng mukha ko. Walang hiya talaga. I'm freaking wearing a high heels! I can float but I should not. This is not the right place for that.

Sumunod na lamang ako sa nagmamadali kong kasama. Nakangiti na ito pero halatang natataranta. His grip on my wrist were tightening, and it's all sweaty. Geez. Nakakamatay ba ang pagiging late?

Nagpatuloy lamang siya sa pagkaladkad sa'kin hanggang sa wakas ay nakarating na kami sa kulay lumang ginto na higanteng pintuan. Again, I was mesmerized by how luxurious this place is. It's a gigantic door that even a house can pass through. It's closed but a glint of light peaked on the tiny keyhole and I'm sure, it's even more luxurious inside. But the problem is, how do we get inside with getting too much attention?

"We have no choice, Ara."

Before I could even react, Genesis dragged me again towards the entrance as the door opened automatically. I can feel his tight grip on my hand as he intertwined our fingers. For a second, a white light is all I can see until the buzzing of loud mouths filled my ear. Ito na nga ba ang sinasabi ko.

Great! Just great. The spotlight is now on us. Fuck this.

"Let us all welcome the last Arcane, Mr. Genesis Rovuille, and her lovely date!" malakas na sigaw ng isang lalaki na hindi ko alam kung saan nakapwesto. And I thought Rovuille is a city?

"You lied when you said you're from Rovuille, did you?" mahinang tanong ko kay Genesis ng hindi lumilingon.

"My great great great grandfather is a Rovuille. The city is named after our family name," he explained. I nodded in response. Ibang klase naman pala ang pamilyang pinanggalingan ng malanding lalaking 'to. Never thought of that.

Muling nabalik ang atensyon ko sa harapan. Lahat ng tao ay nasa amin ang tingin, lalong lalo na sa kamay ni Genesis na nasa kamay ko. May mga bata, matanda, at mga kasing edad ko lang na siyang nangunguna sa bulungan.

If the gigantic door was mesmerizing, the hall is beyond that! It was huge despite the massive crowd. There were luxurious round tables and chairs, giant chandeliers, floating lamps on every corner, and the bottle of drinks was moving from one table to another on its own. The theme of gold and white was too blinding for me.

On the walls are portraits of wars, magical elements, and intimidating men. I think they're the previous rulers of this kingdom. The windows are twice as wide as a king-sized bed with gold linings. This hall alone clearly shouts elegance and luxury.

Genesis pulled me closer to him. "Let's go."

Tahimik akong naglakad papunta sa hindi ko alam kung saan. Nakasunod lamang ako kay Genesis na panay ang pagbati sa mga taong nadadaanan namin. It's seems like he's really popular, especially to girls. Typical flirts.

Huminto siya kaya'y huminto na rin ako. Sa harap namin ay isang mahabang lamesa na puno ng pagkain, nagsisikintabang kubyertos, at matatapang na alak. There are also floating lamps on both sides, where sits an old man in a burgundy robe wearing a scarlet scarf and a golden crown on the top of his head — the king.

"Practice punctuality, Rovuille," the king said in a rather hoarse voice. Lumingon ito sa gawi namin. "It's nice to meet you, young lady."

His eyes and mine met. I blinked... and blinked... and blinked. I gritted my teeth and held my breath as though all the air from my lungs was sucked out. My nails were digging into my palm and I could hear the stretching sound of my lace glove as I balled my fist.

This is far more than I expected.

His eyes were shining in emerald green... And one thing is for sure — I am looking at the familiar green eyes of the man from my long forgotten childhood.